Experts warn that things you’ve written online about a spouse could come back to haunt you if you later get a divorce.
Say, for example, that you ranted wildly on Facebook about your spouse on a day when you were particularly upset. If that rant becomes part of your divorce proceedings, you’re not going to be making the best impression on the judge, who is likely to be thinking about how your children will feel if they later read the things you impulsively wrote about when you were angry.
Experts indicate that it’s much better to exercise restraint in what you write online. That may be even more true if you’re already in the middle of a divorce.
Spouses who say they have little money to pay for child support or alimony will not be doing themselves any favors if they brag online about their new cars or exciting vacations. Furthermore, spouses who take out their frustrations by posting lies about their soon-to-be-exes could find themselves being sued for libel, although this is hard to prove.
“You give up so much privacy, and if you don’t understand the consequences of it, you can really have problems,” said one divorce attorney. “The Internet is a dangerous place to comment on your divorce.”
Experts offer a simple suggestion: Think before you type. What you put on the Internet stays there, sometimes even if you delete it. The short-term satisfaction of giving in to an impulse to trash your ex-spouse in front of the online community could be costly in the long term.
If the damage is already done — if you’ve already posted the rant — you can’t undo the past, but experts say that you still have a way to make things better: apologize. It’s a simple step that can be very effective in the long run.
Stay tuned for updates from our Ft. Worth family law blog …
To learn more about divorce, child custody or child support, contact an experienced and skilled legal professional.
This post is for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice.
Source:
Reuters, “Trashing your ex on Facebook may cost you,” Geoff Williams, Aug. 22, 2012
